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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Robert Dinwiddie to Arthur Dobbs
Dinwiddie, Robert, 1693-1770
July 01, 1757
Volume 05, Page 766

[Reprinted from Dinwiddie Papers. Vol. 2. P. 661.]
Governor Dinwiddie to Governor Dobbs.

July 1st, 1757.

Sir:

My last to Yo. was the 20th June, to w'ch please be referr'd. I sent 200 Men from our Regim't to So. Carolina, where they've safely arriv'd. Excepting some Flour sent there for sale, I'm oblig'd to send bills of Excha. to pay our People. Yo. are the best Judge w't to do w'th y'r Comp'y propos'd for their Assista. By L'rs from London a Regim't of near 1,200 Highlanders are ordered to So. Carolina. Yo. ment'n that So. Carolina has 64,000 Militia and 40,000 Negroes they can depend on. That No. are more than I tho't were in that Province. You have by the Post some Packets from England by a ship lately arriv'd. I sh'd have sent 'em by Express, but then I c'd not have p'd him out of my own pocket, as I was formerly oblig'd to pay Mr. Watson £24 for Express sent Yo., w'ch Yo. sent forw'd to So. Carolina. My Health is so much impair'd that I've wrote for Leave to resign my Gov't w'ch I expect ab't October next. I never did receive the receipt for the 100 Beeves, otherwise I sh'd not have troubled Yo. or Mr. Campbell ab't it. Colo. Innes must be greatly mistaken on that head. The Commissary for Provisions declares the Beeves were not fit for any service, and this Country w'd not pay one farthing for 'em but on y'r L're and Ord'r for £200. I p'd it from the Balla. of English Money in my hands, and 20 odd £ more, w'ch was actually more than they w'd have Amo't'd to by weight agreeable to former Paym't for Beeves, or w'd I have p'd that sum if Yo. had not wrote me it was for Y'r forces' pay. Those at F't Cumberland, on their being order'd to the No'w'd, and indeed the 100 Beeves w'd not have answer'd the Provisions y'r People were supplied w'th while at F't Cumberland, laid in by this Country, and I was not a little surprised at Y'r L're making the Demand. I shall be glad of every Opp'ty to do Yo. any Friendship, but I'm so much convinc'd of Y'r just Ways of thinking that after reading the above You will conclude Y'r Colony is greatly indebted to this, w'ch I sh'd have ment'd w'n I had the Pleasure of y'r Company here, but I did not then care to urge it.

Y'r Exc'y's most ob'd't h'ble Serv't.